The ancient philosopher Lao Tzu once said, “The one that is virtuous knows virtue by experience.” At the 2013 Master Nationals, Pete Ciccone experienced somethings that were nearly two decades in the making, hearing his name announced onstage as the winner and bringing home his IFBB Pro Card.

The 2013 USA Championships saw a number of competitors bring their all-time best to the stage, among those was 2nd place finisher in the Heavyweight Division, Matt Burzacott. After a devastating pec tear nearly ended his career just a few years earlier, Matt decided to rededicate himself to the sport and pursue his dream of becoming an IFBB Pro.

Negative news always seems to capture the headlines, doesn’t it? Turn on your local news at any time of day and it’s more than likely that they’ll be leading their newscast with some form of tragedy. And, more often than not, we stop what we’re doing just to check out how crazy the world continues to become.